With Friends Like These
by halfmyheart
Summary: I don’t appreciate you branding me a lunatic because I wear the same face as that crazy brother of yours. Max and Alec have a huge fight and Joshua tries to cheer her up.


They aren't mine, I'm just playing wiht them.

Story is rated for a few swear words, three I think...

Set just before the end of season 2

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The fog rolled in around midnight, a misty veil shrouding the sleeping city. Far below the skyscrapers and apartment building the last light winked out at a club called Crash. The rowdy party goers and drunken teenagers stumbled out into the night as the fog descended further onto the streets and houses nearby. Many could be heard singing as they continued to party down the abandoned streets towards their various homes. Max walked slowly savoring the memory of the night's victory. She could still see the look of shock on Alec's face when she shoved him hard over the table and Original Cindy had poured the remains of the pitcher of beer over his head. Nice touch she thought.

The side gate of Terminal City loomed into view and Max looked up from her shoes to see who the guard on duty tonight was. It was an X5 by the name of Greg. She remembered him well. He'd been caught during the initial Manticore escape back in '09. She flashed him a killer smile as she passed. Once inside the gates however her mood was ruined as unwanted company fell into step beside her.

"You know that whole mess at Crash was uncalled for, but I'll forgive you this time cuz it must just be that time of the month or something."

Max swung around to face the arrogant X5, intending to give him a piece of her mind.

"Alec, you're such an arrogant ass. Take a hike."

"Max, I'm hurt." He placed his hand over his heart and gave her the innocent eyes. "You know you love me."

"Yeah, whatever." She started walking toward the beating heart of Terminal City, the control room. She immediately spotted Joshua painting away in his corner under the stairs.

"Hey big fellow, what ya painting now."

He stuck his brush back into his cup of color and grinned sheepishly.

"It's not finished yet."

"Oh, well can I see it anyway?"

"No," he said using his big frame to block his masterpiece from view, "not yet. Soon."

"Oh, ok. Well goodnight."

"Night little fellow. Uh, sweet dreams."

In her room Max sank slowly onto her bed. It felt good after a hard day's work. After listening to Normal screech all day and having to deal with Alec's side remarks about everything in the world the silence surrounding her felt good. But it wasn't meant to be.

"Max can we talk? Listen this whole be mean to Alec gag is really getting old. I mean sure it was funny at first but now it's starting to hurt, seriously."

Max looked up and noted with satisfaction that he had a nice shiny bruise forming on his chin.

"What did I do to you topiss you off?"

"Do you want the long list or the short one?"

"You have lists? Come on Max, what?"

"Ever since I laid eyes on you, you have been nothing but trouble. First it was Logan, then the baseball, and the whole trying to kill me and Joshua thing, yeah not working for me. After that I kinda lost count of all the stupid things you did. So when I said take a hike, I really meant kiss off!"

Alec involuntarily stepped back at the animosity in her voice.

"Oh, I see. This isn't about me at all. This is really about something else."

"Oh Alec…"

"No, no. This is about Ben."

"See, you're being stupid again."

"I wish I was only being stupid. Look Max I'm not Ben ok. I'm not your brother, so don't blame me for what he did. I might look like him but I am NOT him. I'd never go on a crazy killing streak. And that whole mess with White, you know I couldn't go through with it, didn't go through with it. So stop painting me with the same brush as your psychotic brother ok, cuz I'm Alec, a completely different person."

"You don't know what…"

"Yes I do, and I don't appreciate you branding me a lunatic because I wear the same face as that crazy brother of yours. I'm not Ben; don't ever think that I am."

With that he turned around and stalked off into the foggy streets of Seattle. Max was tempted to go after him and tell him that he was wrong; he was just like Ben only he hadn't realized it yet, but she didn't. Instead she lied back down and drifted into a fitful sleep.

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The next morning she woke up to find Alec sitting on the edge of her bed.

"What the hell do you want?"

"Nothing, just wanted to tell you that Joshua is looking for you. He's got something he wants to show you."

He got up and headed for the door.

Max stopped him and instantly berated herself for not letting him go.

"Look Alec, I know your not Ben, and you were right last night. It's not right for me to judge you by him." She finished kind of lamely, but that was as much of an apology as he was ever gonna get. Even that much was pretty out of character for her.

"Yeah, well, bout time."

He made it to the door, and then he turned around with a wicked smile playing at the corners of his lips.

"Just one more thing Maxie. How about telling OC to lay off huh? I think she's enjoying torturing me way to much."

"Yeah sure, now get lost."

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Joshua was easy enough to find. He was still hovering in his corner. This time he was waiting on her, a huge grin on his doggy face.

"It's ready," he announced proudly.

"Well let's see!"

It's of the most beautiful woman I've ever known."

Oh thought Max, he's still pining over Annie. But when Joshua ripped the blanket off the canvas, it wasn't the blind woman's face she saw staring back at her. It was her own. She smiled and gave the dog man a playful hug.

"It's wonderful Joshua, thank you."

His grin grew broader as she stepped forward to inspect the flawless replica of herself on the canvas. All thought's of Ben and Alec disappeared and her anger and annoyance evaporated as she turned to face Joshua.

"You just made my day big fellow. What do you say we go celebrate? I'm thinking something around 100 proof."

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So? What did you think? Good, bad, whatever?


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